realtek 8187B new kernel LARRY HELP!!

English Network/Internet
1

hi all, especially larry

few months ago i posted a thread about wireless realtek 8187B problem, that i cant connect and install driver and so… Larry replied that only way is to create new kernel and sent me an info about how to do that…i did everything as mentioned in info, it took a lot of time BUT, when i boot my notebook there is listed an opition at GRUB, something like 2.6.27-rc8-wl, when i check that, screen goes black, few things are written and the last thing is: Kernel panic, not syncing, unable to mount root, also something like select proper boot option and so…

HERE IS THE INFO how to make the kernell:

The first things you will need are to load some software that will be needed.
Using YaST, select “Software Management” and search for “gcc” and select it, if
not already loaded. Similarly, search in turn for “make”, and “patch”,
“git” and select them. Now press “Accept”.

When the above steps are finished, You are ready to get the source. I tried to back-generate a patch that would work with the openSUSE kernel, but that failed. Thus I recommend downloading the latest wireless-testing package. To get that source, open a terminal and enter the following
command (Please try to copy-and-paste these commands):

cd ~
git clone \ git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/linville/wireless-testing.git \ wireless-testing

This command makes a copy of the entire source tree in your disk area. It will download a lot of data.

Next get the configuration of your current kernel with the following commands:

cd ~/wireless-testing
cp /proc/config.gz .
gunzip config.gz
cp config .config

To build the kernel, issue the command

make

The above command will making a new kernel. For the questions it asks at the beginning, just press an Enter to take the default answer. Depending on your processor speed and the amount of memory you have, the make step may take a long time. If your system has more than one processor, add -j3 to the make command - it will go a lot faster.

When the make command finishes, then enter the command

sudo make install_modules install

This installs a new kernel with the code for the RTL8187B. It will be listed as 2.6.26-wl in the GRUB menu. Select it at boot time, and all should be good.

I had some problems with last command sudo make install_modules install, it said something like theres no way to install so i typed only install_modules and it came up with kernell build 2.6.27=rc8-wl /boot or something like that, also i am sure it wrote something like installig modules which took a litlle time before that make install_modules install command

2

PS: how do i uninstall that new kernell if its wrong??

3

pimpelkovic wrote:
> PS: how do i uninstall that new kernell if its wrong??

You can do that with YaST, but that step is only necesssary if you are
running out of space in /lib/modules or in /boot.

Do you have any “restricted” modules for an ATI or Nvidia graphics
card? If so, you will need to get the source for the driver and
rebuild it.

There is now an additional option for you. You could get the
compat-wireless source for your kernel and build the RTL8187B driver
from that package.

Larry

4

hi, i made new kernel now with rtl8187b support posted in previous thread and it works fine… I just want to ask about that compat-wireless source, can you write step by step how to do make the 8187b driver?? I will be very happy, you helped me a lot with your step by step guides about building kernels… Thanks again…

5

You should download the compat-wireless source for your kernel, untar it, and
follow the instructions in the README.

Larry

6

ok, everything works fine in kernel that i made my own, now i am trying to run my wifi in a default kernel that i am using so … I downloaded compat-wireless, i untar it, according to readme file i opened terminal in that directory, wrote make, sudo make install, sudo make load… it came with loading few modules also rtl8187.ko… I can see now in Knetwork manager that there is wlan0 written but i get no signal!! i typed iwconfig in terminal:

wlan0 IEEE 802.11 ESSID:""
Mode:Managed Frequency:2.412 GHz Access Point: Not-Associated
Tx-Power=27 dBm
Retry min limit:7 RTS thr:off Fragment thr=2352 B
Encryption key:off
Link Quality:0 Signal level:0 Noise level:0
Rx invalid nwid:0 Rx invalid crypt:0 Rx invalid frag:0
Tx excessive retries:0 Invalid misc:0 Missed beacon:0

7

Did you configure it?

8

hmmmm, nope, dont know how to do that… am gonna try to google it

9

To configure the device, go to YaST - network devices - network settings.Click on the device & click edit. Then fill in the appropriate fields

Andy

10

yope, read the sticky and went into network devices, hmmm, my wifi is listed there as rtl8187 wireless adapter, which is fine, also Mac adress is there, i set up Ip adress to DHCP, set up also other things but still no signal!!! also when i go to terminal and type dmseg command there is rtl8187 Wlan adapter listed so i dont know where is the problem… the output of iwconfig is the same, iwscan list doesn show anything… when i boot to kernel that i made i get signal, in default kernel my wlan adapter is listed, driver is listed, everything seems to be ok except signal!!!1

11

That’s because you compiled a kernel,which you have to use, for that device. It will not work in other kernels unless you recompile them

Andy

12

WOW, so now what!! I want to use only one kernel with rtl8187b wireless WORKING!! SO, i need to remove the kernel that i compiled on my own and recompile my default kernel with rtl8187 driver??? sorry for these questions, but i am lost now what to do!!

13

if the kernel that you compiled works,why not use that ? If you need irtl8187b in the other kernel for some specific reason,then,yes,you will need to recompile for that kernel. Whatever you compile for one kernel will not be picked up in another kernel without doing the same thing.

Andy

14

aaaaaaalll right, now i see, i thought that default kernel must always stay, ok, i am gonna use the one that works… Thanks for your help very much